The Basics of Go Strategy, Richard Bozulich

Mastering the Basics, Volume 5

From its description at www.kiseido.com:

Aji, kikashi (forcing moves), and sabaki are the most important concepts of go. They imbue the game with strategic subtleties unmatched in any other game. Without an understanding of these concepts, no go player can hope to attain a high level of skill. Besides these concepts, it is also necessary to understand the shape and distribution of stones and how they influence other parts of the board, determining which stones are important and which stones can be sacrificed, and which stones must be strengthened before playing large-scale strategic moves.

The aim of this book is to bring together these ideas and to show the reader how they interact. Many of the examples and problems are taken from professional games so that the reader can see how the top pros deal with and utilize these concepts.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part is expository, and the second part consists of 101 problems. These problems will expose the the reader to various techniques and ways to think about certain kinds of positions. The reader is urged to approach them as positions that might occur in their own games, decide how they would play, and then look at the answers to compare their own thinking to that of a professional.

Comments & Reviews

In the first 8 chapters, this book explains aji, forcing, probing, heavy/light, junk/key stones, and thickness. I found these sections to be golden, because previously I had learned some of these concepts only through isolated examples or self discovery. Perhaps the systematic approach in this book is rare because it might overwhelm beginners. But for those that have completed the other volumes in the excellent Mastering the Basics series, this book may open new dimensions in go thinking. The problems provide much needed examples of the concepts in action, and demonstrate many common probes and other positions which I had never encountered before but are important to be aware of for anyone and probably essential in dan level play.

---

The author’s comments suggest that this book is an update of the out-of-print “Stategic Concepts of Go” with several new chapters and examples from professional games as current as 2006. I have not seen the original as it is quite hard to obtain, but I can understand how it might have been very popular. The problems are not easy, and sometimes require the ability to see interesting tesujis and tactical possibilities, so it’s certainly not just about strategy. Although I find it odd that any book on Go strategy can omit a section on counting and positional judgment, this volume is certainly a keeper, if only for its coverage of common probes and sabaki sequences.

---

Similar to "The Basics of Go Strategy"

Go Basics: Concepts And Strategies for New Players

Mastering the Basics of Go

The 3-3 Point, Modern Opening Strategy

The Chinese Opening: The Sure-Win Strategy

The Heart of Go Discovery Series Volume 3: Otake's Secrets of Strategy